Tuesday, June 20, 2017

Prodigy Passed Away!

The hip-hop community is mourning the loss of rapper/producer Prodigy of Mobb Deep.

Prodigy was born Albert Johnson died in Las Vegas at the age of 42. His publicist said that he died because of sickle cell anemia.

"It is with extreme sadness and disbelief we confirm the death of our dear friend Prodigy of the legendary New York rap duo Mobb Deep, Prodigy was hospitalized a few days ago in Vegas after a Mobb Deep performance for complications caused by a sickle cell anemia crisis. As most of his fans know, Prodigy battled with the disease since birth. The exact cause of death have yet to be determined. We would like to thank everyone for respecting the family's privacy at this time.

The rapper grew up in Queens, New York with his rhyme partner Havoc.

They broke into the hip-hop scene with their debut album Juvenile Hall. When they released their second album The Infamous, they became household names in the hip-hop community.

According to New York Times, Prodigy brought a no-nonsense personality and a vivid eye for detial to his lyrics, brutal evocations of cruel street life in Queensbridge.

As part of Mobb Deep, the group released eight albums.

They even tangled with Tupac Shakur during the infamous east v. west coast feud.

Mobb Deep also took on rivals like Jay-Z and Game. All those feuds have ended peacefully.

CNN reports Prodigy has some historical roots. His great-great-great-grandfather, William Jefferson White, founded Georgia's Morehouse College in the basement of his Baptist church.

Being a part of Mobb Deep didn't keep Johnson from solo projects like his album "H.N.I.C."

He also appeared on collaborative projects such as 2007's "Return of the Mac" and 2013's "Albert Einstein."

Johnson had some legal troubles. In 2007, he was sentenced to three years in prison for illegal possession of a firearm.

He detailed that incident and more in his memoir "My Infamous Life: The Autobiography of Mobb Deep's Prodigy."

"There were too many other adventures to squeeze in: his family's rich historical and musical legacy; his lifelong battle with sickle cell anemia; UFO sightings; episodes with Lindsay Lohan, Mary J. Blige, and Lil' Kim; and his contributions to the golden era of hip-hop," Johnson's memoir co-author, Laura Checkoway, wrote in a 2011 piece for the Village Voice.

In 2016, the rapper published "Commissary Kitchen: My Infamous Prison Cookbook" with Iandoli, which contained recipes and stories about the food he experienced while in prison.

Johnson was mourned on social media Tuesday by many fellow artists, including rapper Nas, who was the first to post about Johnson's death.